Clash of the Opinions: No on Question 1

Question 1 seems harmless enough. Massachusetts already approved three casino licenses and one slot license in 2011 – what’s the harm of one more slot license?

First, only one of the three casinos previously approved will be open on election day this year. The other two are still being constructed. It is incredibly rash to approve another slot license when there is no information on what the long-term effects of the 2011 vote will be.

Second, this question was proposed by one man – Eugene Augustus McCain Jr. – who will directly benefit from up to 1,250 slot machines if the measure is passed.

According to a Boston Globe editorial, the 2011 vote allowed for competition. The state took bids from a range of businesses and tried to pick the best ones for the job.

This ballot question is different. Because McCain Jr. wrote the measure, he made sure to stipulate ridiculously specific regulations for the ballot. By doing so, he ensured that Suffolk Downs will be the only place the new slot parlor will be able to go – and it just so happens he owns the trailer park where the parlor will be located.

Clearly, this is not a people’s issue worthy of the ballot, but simply a money-grab from someone attempting to ride on the coattails of the 2011 vote before any real information about casinos and slot parlors in Massachusetts can be assessed.

McCain Jr. is trying to circumvent the state’s authority at the ballot box, and he’s hoping you won’t notice. Suffolk Downs, by the way, is a horse-racing track. According to onegreenplanet.org, horses are frequently drugged in order to stop them from feeling the excruciatingly abusive physical toll on their bodies from the unnatural and inhumane sport. While that should be disturbing enough, onegreenplanet.org also reported that horses are bred to be as fast as possible, the result being their legs are so small and thin they can barely stabilize themselves and are frequently injured on the tracks.

According to ballotpedia.org, Question 1 will bring $12 million to the Massachusetts horse-racing industry, fueling both the tracks and the breeding farms.

So please, if you care about the treatment of animals, vote no on Question 1 to avoid dumping more money into a cruel and outdated racing industry.

If you care about democracy, vote no on Question 1 to stop McCain Jr. from hijacking the ballot for his own nefarious, unreliable business purposes.